The reason I like you?

"You know that, right?"

When she heard no respond, Junghye waved her hand in front of Youngnae.

"Youngnae?", she continued to stare into space until Junghye poked her.

"Oh? You were calling me?"

"Yah, I've been talking for the past 10 minutes."

"I heard you.", she gave a smile before staring into space again.

But Junghye doesn't know, she continues to talk.

"I'm planning to confess to him."

Those words brought Youngnae back.

"Confess? Who?"

Junghye then shoved her best friend lightly, "Ehhhh, you know who."

"Who do you like apart from-"

She paused before turning to a blushing Junghye, "Howon?"

"I've been liking him since, I don't know. Last year. But I never got the courage to say anything. He seems closer to you than me even though we're best friends. Do you think you can put some good words for me?"

"Good words?"

"Like maybe ask, what does he think of me or something."

"Hmm, I'll do that."

"You're the best friend I've ever had, Youngnae-ah.", she hugs her from her side.

"I'm going now.", Junghye stood up while brushing her skirt.

"Already? it's only 10."

"My parents have been nagging at me for going home late. Sorry."

Youngnae waved her off, "Get home safe."

Youngnae was then left alone at the stand with a empty bottle in hand.

She stared at it for second and shouted, "Ahjumma, half a dozen more please."

"Are you sure? You seem quite drunk."

"I'm fine. Another dozen."

"If you say so."

Someone else came sitting infront of her, "Ahjumma, dokkbokki please."

"Coming right up."

"Yah, trying to drunk yourself?"

Youngnae lifted her head, "Oh, you're here?"

"Hmm, I was on my way home and I heard some crazy lady shouting. Knew it was you right away."

"Aish.", she punched his arm.

Howon. Lee Howon.

"Beer and dokkbokki.", the ahjumma placed down the stuff and left.

"Thanks.", Youngnae started to drink but Howon snatched it from her hand and drank it.

"Something on your mind?"

She stared at him before letting out a laugh and grabbed a bottle for herself.

"Cheers to our 10 years of friendship.", she reached out her bottle to Howon's.

He stared at her weirdly but does the same.

Their bottles clinked, and she continued to drink.

"Something on your mind?", he asked again and she just shook her head.

"Drinking night, that's all."

He raised a brow and stopped her from drinking again, "You don't drink unless you have something in your mind."

"Can't you just let me drink?"

"Araso, araso. No need to get angry here."

"Thank you very much."

"But seriously, what's on your mind?"

"LEE HOWON."

------

10 years since they've been friends.

Schoolmate and even, classmates.

Middle school.

Junghye and Youngnae have known each for, forever.

And one day, Lee Howon comes into their life.

"Hi, I'm Lee Howon from Busan. Please take good care of me.", he bowed as he smiled with his big glasses on.

"You can sit there, right at the back, in between Junghye and Youngnae. Raise your hands, girls."

"HERE! COME HERE!", Junghye was literally jumping in her seat while Youngnae was just flipping through her textbook.

Howon settled down in his seat, and a hand was stretched out right in front of him.

"Junghye. Park Junghye.", Howon shook it and smiled at her.

"That's Youngnae.", she pointed and Howon turned to see her back-facing him.

"Youngnae?"

She turned her face over with a bored expression.

"Howon. Lee Howon.", his turn to stretch out his hand.

"You probably know my name. Last name's Kim.", and she turned back without even shaking his hand.

"She's a bit moody today. Please forgive her."

"Ah, it's okay.", he glanced at Youngnae again before looking at the front.

"Time for some soccer, boys and girls."

All the girls groaned, except for Youngnae.

"Time to kick some asses.", she spat as she does her stretching with Junghye.

"Pick your team! Go go go!", the teacher whistled.

"Howon!", Junghye waved him over.

"Why are you calling him? He doesn't look like a good player."

"Well, he's new."

"If 10 new students were to come, are you going to ask all of them to join us?"

Junghye paused for a while before nodding with a smile.

"Ugh.", Youngnae mentally gave herself a facepalm before continuing her stretching.

"Are you guys good?", Howon asked.

"Not me but she is.", Junghye pointed at Youngnae.

"Her dad's a soccer coach, so she's well-trained."

"Is that so?"

"Do you play?", Youngnae asked as she looked up to see him nodding.

"You do?"

"Yeah, I was in my school's soccer team."

Youngnae stood up and smiled at him for the first time.

That's when Howon made a mental note in his head that he likes girls with a pretty smile.

"Let's kick some asses then, mate."

The game went on to 6-0, with Youngnae scoring 3 goals, Howon scoring 2 and Junghye actually scored 1.

They had a mini celebration party during lunch as they got to know more about each other.

High school.

The 3 of them were close as ever.

However, Junghye had strict parents so they would always make her go home right after school leaving Youngnae and Howon to spend time alone.

That's was probably why they seem closer.

Both of them were at the age of falling in love.

"Do you like anyone right now?", Howon asked.

They were sitting at the field after a game of soccer with each other

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I don't know if I like that someone or it's just. I just don't know."

She then turned to ask him, "You?"

"There's someone I like."

Youngnae froze, "Do I know that person?"

"You do."

"Junghye?"

Howon turned to her with a curious face and just smiled.

It must be Junghye, she thought.

Youngnae was frowning slightly and lines began to show on her forehead.

"Yah, stop frowning. The lines are ugly.", he pushed her head.

"I wasn't!"

Time past by, both Youngnae and Junghye got prettier, and Howon got handsome too, much more handsome.

They all had people coming asking them to be their girlfriends and boyfriend.

Junghye was in a few relationships but Youngnae and Howon rejected everyone because they wanted their first love to be special.

Both of them got nagged by Junghye, saying that they were only wasting their youth.

------

"You shouldn't drank so much when you have low tolerance for alcohol.", Howon threw Youngnae on her bed.

Youngnae was mumbling words that he couldn't understand.

Howon bent down and push her bangs aside until he could see her face clearly.

"Has anyone told you how pretty you are?"

She curled to the side of her bed as she falls in a deep slumber.

He then lowered his face and left a light peck on her cheek, carefully not to wake her up.

Just as Howon neatly tugged her into bed, he was about to leave but something on her study table caught his attention.

It was her diary.

The diary that she's been writing in since high school.

He saw some words on the page opened and went over.

"It wouldn't hurt to peek, right?"

He sat on the chair and furrowed as he read the words written in the middle of the page.

"I want us to remain the same?"

Howon took another look at the sleeping Youngnae.

Was he the person she liked, ever since high school?

He shook his head, "Can't be. She would've said something if so."

But with Youngnae's character.

He closed her diary and left the house.

I'll just ask her later, he thought.

"Ugh, my head.", Youngnae sat up and knocked her head with her hand a few times.

"Awake?"

Howon's face was right beside her as she turned to face the door.

"YOU SCARED ME, GOD DAMN IT. OUCH MY HEAD."

He smiled, "Here. Your parents left for work and your mom made this for you."

"What's this?"

"Hangover soup."

She took a sip before spitting it out on Howon's face.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS, IT TASTE HORRIBLE."

"And you could have spit it somewhere else."

"OH MY GOD. I'm so so sorry. Let me clean that off for you."

She reached for tissue and slowly cleaned it off for him.

Howon could only stare at her face with a thumping heart.

Youngnae probably felt his stare and stopped wiping his face, "It's clean now."

Howon caught her hand before she could pull them down back to her sides.

"Yah, why are you holding my hand? Let go."

"The things you wrote on your diary."

"YOU READ MY DIARY? DO YOU WANNA DIE?", she wanted to smack him but only to have her the other hand caught as well.

"It was left opened when I brought you home last night."

"That doesn't give you right to read it, Howon."

"I know, I'm sorry."

She sighed, "What is it?"

" 'I want us to remain the same.' What was that referring to?"

She then cleared , "It was some quote I wrote down after watching a drama."

"Was it?"

"What were you thinking?"

She then knocked his head, "Thinking that you're the one for me?"

"Maybe?"

"Junghye came to look for me earlier."

"She did?"

"Yeah, she said some weird stuff then left."

"Weird stuff?"

The two of them were sitting outside a convenient store with a can of beer in their hand.

"Well, I think she kind of scolded me."

"That can't be."

"What can't be?"

Youngnae fiddled with her fingers and she continued, "She told me she was confessing to you today."

"She was?"

"Hmm, I don't know why she didn't though."

"Maybe because she knew."

"Knew what?"

"We're both in love with each other."

Youngnae choked on her drink as she spit the remaining on the floor before wiping with the back of her hand.

"You know you can't hide forever, Youngnae."

"Who said I was hiding?"

"Last week. The last time we saw each other was last week, at your house."

After Howon had asked her about the words she had written in her diary, she tried to avoid him.

Yes, she was in love with Howon but knowing that her best friend was too, she wanted to be the one to give up.

She was to be the selfish one this time, to give up her love.

"Just so you know, I was really busy for the past week."

"With what?"

"School."

"You're on holiday now."

"Research. Holiday homework."

"Then why was it that I saw you working at the cafe two days ago?"

"You followed me?!"

"I wanted to approach you but I knew you would scream at me, so I just looked at you from afar."

Youngnae let out a big sigh, "I'm sorry. I just wanted Junghye to be happy."

"And give up your own happiness?"

She shrugged, "If my two best friends are happy together, why not?"

"Who said I would be happy if I was with her?"

"But that time-"

"You thought the person I liked was her, didn't you?"

She nodded and Howon laughed, "It's you. It's always been you."

They were now facing each other.

Youngnae suddenly burst out laughing, "What are you laughing at?"

"I don't know. Everything's so awkward now, isn't it?"

"Not really. You're the awkward one."

"Yah."

"So are we together now?"

"Hmm?"

Howon pulled her close, into a tight embrace.

"I've waited long enough, you know that? Are you willing to be my girlfriend?"

His smile widened when he felt her head nodding on his shoulder.

Junghye was hiding behind a pillar, looking at her two best friends who finally had the courage to confessed to each other.